I love to experiment with technology and build things from scratch, I’m always looking for great free services that can help me bring my projects to life. One of the most crucial aspects of any DIY project is website and application hosting, and fortunately, there are many excellent free services available that can help with this.

Free services for DIY

One of my favorite services for website hosting is GitHub Pages. GitHub Pages is a free service provided by GitHub that allows you to host static websites directly from your GitHub repository. This means that you can host your website for free, without the need for any additional infrastructure or server management.

One of the best things about GitHub Pages is how easy it is to set up. All you need to do is create a new repository on GitHub and upload your website files to it. Once you’ve done that, you can enable GitHub Pages in the repository’s settings, and your website will be live in no time. GitHub Pages also supports custom domains, which means you can use your own domain name for your website.

Another great free service for website hosting is Netlify. Netlify is a cloud-based platform that provides a wide range of features and tools for hosting and deploying websites. With Netlify, you can host static websites as well as websites built using popular frameworks such as React, Vue.js, and Angular.

Netlify provides a free tier that allows you to host up to 100GB of bandwidth and 300 build minutes per month. This makes it a great choice for DIY enthusiasts who want to quickly build and deploy their websites without worrying about infrastructure and server management.

Another excellent free service for website hosting is GitLab Pages. GitLab Pages is a service provided by GitLab that allows you to host static websites directly from your GitLab repository. Like GitHub Pages, GitLab Pages makes it easy to set up and host your website for free.

GitLab Pages supports custom domains, which means you can use your own domain name for your website. GitLab Pages also supports SSL encryption, which means your website will be secure and your users’ data will be protected.

If you’re looking for a service that can help with both website and application hosting, then I recommend checking out Google Firebase. Firebase is a cloud-based platform that provides a wide range of tools and services for application hosting and development.

Firebase provides a free tier that includes hosting for static websites and up to 1GB of database storage. Firebase also includes several other services, such as authentication, real-time database, cloud functions, and more. This makes it a great choice for developers who want to quickly build and deploy their applications without worrying about infrastructure and server management.

Another great service for application hosting is AWS Elastic Beanstalk. Elastic Beanstalk is a service provided by Amazon Web Services that makes it easy to deploy and manage applications in the AWS Cloud.

Elastic Beanstalk provides a free tier that includes 750 hours of Amazon EC2 Linux or Windows t2.micro instance usage per month, as well as 3.3 million requests per month for Amazon S3 and Amazon DynamoDB. While this may not be enough for large applications, it’s a great way to get started and test your application without spending any money.

Surge.sh is a fast and straightforward hosting service designed specifically for static websites. With Surge.sh, you can deploy your DIY projects quickly using a simple command-line interface. It supports custom domains, SSL encryption, and provides powerful caching capabilities. Surge.sh’s simplicity and speed make it an excellent choice for hosting small to medium-sized DIY projects that require minimal setup.

Vercel, formerly known as Zeit, offers a comprehensive hosting platform tailored for modern web applications and static websites. It seamlessly integrates with popular frameworks like Next.js, React, and Angular, providing an effortless deployment process. With Vercel, you can take advantage of features like automatic SSL, edge caching, and serverless functions, making it an ideal choice for DIY projects that demand cutting-edge technology.

Render is a cloud hosting service that provides a generous free tier for hosting web applications, static sites, and APIs. It offers an intuitive user interface and supports various deployment methods, including Git and Docker. Render provides automatic SSL certificates, horizontal scaling, and built-in monitoring capabilities. It’s an excellent option for DIY projects that require more advanced hosting features and scalability.

Neocities is a community-driven hosting platform that embraces the spirit of the early web. It offers free hosting for static websites and encourages creators to build and share their projects. Neocities provides generous storage space, bandwidth, and supports custom domains. With its simplicity and nostalgic appeal, it’s an excellent choice for DIY projects that aim to capture the essence of the early days of the internet.

As you can see, there are many great free services available for DIY projects like application hosting and website hosting. Whether you’re building a small website or a large-scale application, these services can help you get started quickly and easily, without having to worry about infrastructure and server management. So why not give them a try today and see what you can create!